tītī is a contemporary New Zealand restaurant inside the Hotel St Clair on The Esplanade in St Clair, Dunedin. Its kitchen looks to the ocean and land that surround the city for inspiration, with menus that evolve gradually through the seasons to celebrate locally sourced ingredients at their peak — an approach led by an award-winning team and a close circle of regional suppliers, farmers and fishermen.
Dining is flexible: choose from a vast à la carte menu served at both lunch and dinner, surrender to the beloved Feed Me option (a set three-course lunch or an individually plated five-course surprise degustation at dinner), or gather a group of eight or more for trust-the-chef and reduced à la carte menus. The seaside room also hosts functions, business and private events for up to 80 guests, with graduation dinners and other occasions on the calendar.
The menu changes frequently with the seasons and the sustainability of the produce, drawing on producers such as Greenstone Creek beef, High Country Lumina lamb, Harbour Fish and the Otago Farmer's Market. Hours vary through the year — lunch Wednesday to Saturday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday in summer, with a shorter winter lunch schedule — and the restaurant is closed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. Evening bookings are recommended, as tītī is often fully booked.
Perched on The Esplanade at St Clair, one of Dunedin's beloved seaside corners, tītī occupies a beautiful spot inside the Hotel St Clair. From here the kitchen looks to the ocean and land that surround the city for inspiration, building a dining experience that is fresh, local and imaginatively crafted by an award-winning team.
The restaurant's philosophy is simple but quietly ambitious: menus that evolve gradually with each season, celebrating locally sourced ingredients at their peak and giving diners the best the region's suppliers, fishermen and farmers have to offer. In practice that means a rolling list of producers behind every plate — Greenstone Creek beef, High Country Lumina lamb, Harbour Fish, Otago Farmer's Market stallholders, Bostock's organic chicken, Ettrick's Garden, Pleasant River Produce, Bay Bees Honey and Common Ground espresso among them — supported by Central Otago wines from Quartz Reef and Domaine Rewa and Nelson's Lot8 olive oil. Dishes change as the seasons and the sustainability of the produce dictate, so no two visits are quite the same.
tītī keeps things deliberately flexible. The vast à la carte menu is served at both lunch and dinner and spans inventive contemporary dishes with a local accent. Starters set the tone: seared New Zealand tuna with coconut, chilli, sesame and kaffir lime; whipped feta with mandarin textures, beetroot and candied walnuts; soy-glazed fried chicken with miso mayo and furikake; pork shoulder croquettes with pickled apple and dukkah; and a Greenstone Creek beef fillet tataki with fried ginger and crispy shallots.
Mains lean into the region's larder. Market fish arrives bouillabaisse-style with prawns, fennel and squid; Lumina lamb shoulder comes with tahini yoghurt, spiced carrots and crushed peas; a rich Greenstone Creek beef cheek is paired with potato dauphinoise and preserved lemon; confit duck leg sits on parsnip and puy lentils; and a vegetarian potato and thyme gnocchi brings together mushroom, parmesan and hazelnuts. Sides — agria potato gratin, roasted carrots with labneh and dukkah, seasonal greens and paprika-dusted fries — are built for sharing, and the menu is designed so you can order a little or order until you drop.
If decision fatigue strikes, the beloved Feed Me option lets the kitchen take over: a set three-course lunch or, at dinner, an individually plated five-course surprise degustation of the chefs' favourite dishes. For groups of eight or more, trust-the-chef menus and a reduced à la carte make occasions easy — just flag any dietary needs when booking. The whole room, which holds up to 80 guests, is also available for functions, business and private events, with the experienced team helping tailor the menu style to the occasion.
Desserts get their own menu for those who can't leave without something sweet — or only came for that to begin with. Think passionfruit creme with pineapple and pink peppercorn, brown sugar meringue with salted caramel and coffee, dark chocolate mousse with raspberry and coconut chantilly, Central Otago pears with biscoff crumble, seasonal gelato and sorbet, and an affogato made with Common Ground espresso.
Practicalities are worth knowing before you go. Hours shift with the seasons: in summer (October to May) lunch runs 11.30am to 2pm Wednesday to Saturday, with dinner from 5pm until late Tuesday to Saturday, while in winter lunch is limited to Friday and Saturday. The restaurant closes Sundays and Mondays, and on public holidays. Evening bookings are recommended — tītī is often fully booked — and a card may be requested to secure a reservation, charged only if the cancellation policy (24 hours' notice for parties under seven, 48 hours for larger groups) is not met.
Dietary requirements are well handled on the à la carte menu, which caters to most common needs and carries GF, DF and V markers. The degustation comes in two versions — 'I'm All In' and 'I Have Restrictions' — and a full allergen list is available for anyone with severe allergies, though some restrictions cannot be accommodated.
Whether you come in for something quick from the à la carte, order until you drop, or surprise yourself with Feed Me, tītī delivers a warm, region-proud experience a stone's throw from the sea. Gift vouchers, valid for three years, make it an easy gift for anyone who loves the Otago coast on a plate.